European Testing Week – Spring 2018

Throughout this week organisations across Europe are joining together to participate in the first ever Spring European HIV-Hepatitis Testing Week.

The Spring campaign is a new initiative, and adds to the existing European Testing week held in November each year.

The campaign aims to make people more aware of their HIV and hepatitis C status, and the benefits associated with testing.

During testing week we want to raise awareness of the different ways that HIV and hepatitis C can be passed on, so that people can judge whether they have been at risk. We also want to send a message that once you know your risk, you can do something about it by accessing testing.

To mark the European campaign, we thought we’d share our top 5 reasons to test:

It’s quick and easy: most HIV and hepatitis C tests involve taking a small sample of blood (either from a finger prick or your arm), and some can return results while you wait.

It’s confidential and convenient: there are now lots of testing options – from clinics and GPs to community and home testing – so you can find the test that’s right for you.

It lets you get on with your life: whether a test is positive or negative, once you know your status, you can do something about it.

It can help put an end to HIV and hepatitis C: an estimated 13% of people HIV and 45% of people with hepatitis C do not know they are living with these conditions. By reducing the number of people who are living with undiagnosed HIV or hepatitis C, we can reduce the chances of them unknowingly passing on an infection, helping to reduce the number of new infections.